Big Top

Chapter 3

I woke up to a hard surface beneath me and hay sticking to my face. I had to look around for a moment, forgetting where I was, then the events of last night came flooding back to my memory. Joe, Zayn, and Liam were very kind to me, nicer than I had expected. But, I had a feeling Red didn't like me, I don't like him that much either, but I wouldn't want to be the one who makes him angry.

I felt the train come to a stop and I stood from the uncomfortable floor. I pulled back the sliding door on the car and the daylight blinded me, giving my eyes little time to adjust. Once I was able to see where I was going I walked out if the car and observed the land before me. I smiled as I looked up to the side of the car and it read Tomlinson Circus in red and yellow letters. I wasn't sure what exactly I was supposed to do without Joe, Zayn, or Liam, so I did a little exploring of my own. I walked among the people in the already forming crowd. Families everywhere. The men in their finest suites, the women in their best dresses, and children all in their Sunday best. I laughed quietly at the mothers scolding the boys for getting dirty. The young boys reminded me of myself when I was their age. My mother was always scolding me for getting my good trousers soiled. I never understood why I couldn't wear my play trousers everywhere. My mother told me so I would look decent. In my mind, decent was at least making the effort to wear clothes. I was a little boy, all I cared about was mud and dirt and just getting filthy. I still don't mind getting a little dirt on my hands but I never had to experience hard labor such as these men. I watched as the roustabouts slowly rolled the animals cages from the cars removing them from the tracks. These men had to be strong, much stronger than me. Although, in my veterinary training there was an incident or two I had to get a cow to stand back up—that wasn't at all easy, but I managed.

As I walked further I saw, what looked like a hundred men, putting up the tent. A task I always wondered how it was done. Sweat and blood seemed to be my answer. Men grunting and chanting as they pulled the poles out and up. It amazed me at their strength. I was well built, I had muscles and everything, but I never thought I was that strong—not as strong as these men anyway. As this tent, being the show tent, was being set up, the animal tent had been put up.

I entered the tent and was simply fascinated. Animals of every kind it looked. Three lions, a hyena, two leopards, and so many more. Something made me feel like my parents sent this train my way. I don't know how, but what are the chances I stumble upon a train filled with animals?

"Kid! Kid!" I looked to see Joe at one of tent openings motioning for me to come to him. "You ain't supposed to be here. Now, I gotcha some work."

"With the animals?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh, you betcha" He assured as we walked away from the tent. "You'll be workin' with Liam." I nodded.

***

Shit. We're shoveling animal shit. Well, Joe did say it involved the animals. This isn't quite what I had in mind but when jobs are scarce, one shouldn't complain. The wood of the shovel handle dug into my skin, letting the blood seep out and down my arm. Liam must have noticed because he suddenly stopped working and handed me a cloth.

"Here, wrap this around your hand." I accepted the cloth and tightly wrapped it around my stinging wound. "Not used to hard labor are you?" I shook my head shamefully. "Me neither when I first joined the circus, it took about a year to grow these and they just keep growing," He held his hand palm up in front of me. I observed the dark, hard calluses along his fingers and palm. I touched over one of them and noticed how weird it felt, hard on top but when I pushed down it was squishy feeling underneath. Liam chuckled at me then picked his shovel back up. "Never seen a callous before?" I resumed the dirty job as well, answering his question.